Diarrhea: Difference between revisions

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			diarrhea is what prostitutes get if taking it up the arse
	] are often associated with diarrhea]]'''Diarrhea''' (in ]) or '''diarrhoea''' (in ]) is a condition in which the sufferer has frequent watery, loose ]s (from the Greek word διάρροια; literally meaning "through-flowing").
	] ] diarrhea is a common cause of death in ] (particularly ]), accounting for 5 to 8 million deaths annually<ref name=Harrison>Kasper DL, Braunwald E, Fauci AS, Hauser SL, Longo DL, Jameson JL. ]. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2005. ISBN 0-07-139140-1.</ref>. Much of the incidence of these deaths is due to the lack of adequate ] and lack of ] capacity; the separation of drinking water from contaminated sewage is also a major issue.

	==Causes==

	].]]
	This condition can occur as a ] of ], ], food intolerance, ] and/or extreme excesses of ] and/or magnesium and may be accompanied by ], ] and ]. Temporary diarrhea can also result from the ingestion of ] medications or large quantities of certain foods like ]s with laxative properties. There are other conditions which involve some but not all of the symptoms of diarrhea, and so the formal medical definition of diarrhea involves ] of more than 200 grams per day (though formal weighing of stools to determine a diagnosis is never actually carried out).

	Diarrhea occurs when insufficient fluid is absorbed by the ]. As part of the ] process, or due to fluid intake, ] is mixed with large amounts of water. Thus, digested food is essentially liquid prior to reaching the colon. The colon absorbs water, leaving the remaining material as a semisolid stool. If the colon is damaged or inflamed, however, absorption is inhibited, and watery stools result.

	Diarrhea is most commonly caused by ] infections or ]l toxins. In sanitary living conditions and with ample food and water available, an otherwise healthy patient typically recovers from the common viral infections in a few days and at most a week. However, for ill or malnourished individuals diarrhea can lead to severe ] and can become life-threatening without treatment.

	Diarrhea can also be a symptom of more serious diseases, such as ], ], or ], and can also be indicative of a chronic syndrome such as ]. Though ] patients do not generally have diarrhea, it is a common symptom of a ruptured ]. It is also an effect of severe ].

	Diarrhea can also be caused by dairy intake in those who are ].

	Symptomatic treatment for diarrhea involves the patient consuming adequate amounts of water to replace that loss, preferably mixed with ]s to provide essential ]s and some amount of ]s. For many people, further treatment is unnecessary. The following types of diarrhea generally indicate medical supervision is desirable:

	*Diarrhea in infants;
	*Moderate or severe diarrhea in young children;
	*Diarrhea associated with blood;
	*Diarrhea that continues for more than 2 weeks;
	*Diarrhea that is associated with more general illness such as non-cramping ], ], ], etc;
	*], since they are more likely to have exotic infections such as parasites;
	*Diarrhea in food handlers, because of the potential to infect others;
	*Diarrhea in institutions such as hospitals, child care centers, or geriatric and convalescent homes.

	==Mechanism==
	To expel the contents of the lower digestive tract, the fluidity of the contents of the small and large intestines is increased. ] of Na<sup>+</sup> back into the gut initiates a reverse sodium transport. This causes both ] and ] to follow passively, as well as water. Now in the intestines, the water dilutes toxins as well as triggering contractions of the intestine due to increase in intestinal distension. These contractions push the contents of the lower GI tract towards and out of the anal canal. ]s such as ] are designed to prevent such contractions in response to the distension, and should not be used to prevent diarrhea. Such inhibition actually prolongs the infection or irritation, and can cause a worsening over time because the evacuation of the bowel contents has been delayed.

	==Types of Diarrhea==
	There are at least four types of diarrhea: secretory diarrhea, osmotic diarrhea, motility-related diarrhea, and inflammatory diarrhea.

	===Secretory diarrhea===
	Secretory diarrhea means that there is an increase in the active secretion, or there is an inhibition of absorption. There is little to no structural damage. The most common cause of this form of this type of diarrhea is a cholera toxin that stimulates the secretion of anions, especially chloride ions. Therefore, to maintain a charge balance in the lumen, sodium is carried with it, along with water.

	===Osmotic diarrhea===
	Osmotic diarrhea occurs when there is a loss of water due to a heavy osmotic load. This can occur when there is maldigestion (e.g., pancreatic disease or ]), where the nutrients are left in the lumen, which pulls water into the lumen.

	===Motility-related diarrhea===
	Motility-related diarrhea occurs when the motility of the gastrointestinal tract is abnormal. If the food moves too quickly, there is not enough contact time between the food and the membrane, meaning that there is not enough time for the nutrients and water to be absorbed. This can follow a ] or diabetic neuropathy.

	===Inflammatory diarrhea===
	Inflammatory diarrhea occurs when there is damage to the mucosal lining or brush border, which leads to a passive loss of protein-rich fluids, and a decreased ability to absorb these lost fluids. Features of all three of the other types of diarrhea can be found in this type of diarrhea. It can be caused by bacterial infections, viral infections, parasitic infections, or autoimmune problems such as inflammatory bowel disease. It is sometimes known as "flaming diarrhea."

	== Acute diarrhea ==
	This may be defined as diarrhea that lasts less than three and a half weeks, and is also called ].

	This can nearly always be presumed to be infective, although only in a minority of cases is this formally proven.

	With cases of acute diarrhea, it is often reasonable to reassure a patient, ensure adequate fluid intake, and wait and see.
	In more severe cases, or where it is important to find the cause of the illness, stool cultures are instituted.

	The most common organisms found are '']'' (an organism of animal origin), '']'' (also often of animal origin), '']'' (animal origin), and '']'' (lives in water). '']'' (dysentery) is less common, and usually human in origin. ] is rare in Western countries. It is more common in travelers and is usually related to contaminated water (its ultimate source is probably sea water). '']'' is probably a very common cause of diarrhea, especially in travelers, but it can be difficult to detect using current technology. The types of ''E. coli'' vary from area to area and country to country. '']'' is considered the most common cause of infectious diarrhea in hospitalized patients worldwide.

	]es, particularly ], are common in children. (Viral diarrhea is probably over-diagnosed by non-doctors). ] can also cause these symptoms.

	Toxins and food poisoning can cause diarrhea. These include ] toxin (often from milk products due to an infected wound in workers), and '']''. Often "food poisoning" is really ''Salmonella'' infection. Diarrhea can also be caused by ingesting foods that contain indigestible material, for instance, ] and ].

	Parasites and worms sometimes cause diarrhea but are often accompanied by weight loss, irritability, ]es or anal itching. The most common is ] (mostly a nuisance rather than a severe medical illness). Other worms, such as ], ascaria, and ] are more medically significant and may cause weight loss, anemia, general unwellness and allergy problems. ] due to '']'' is an important cause of bloody diarrhea in travelers and also sometimes in western countries. It requires appropriate and complete medical treatment.

	==Infective diarrhea==
	It is not uncommon for diarrhea to persist. Diarrhea due to some organisms may persist for years without significant long term illness. More commonly the diarrhea slowly ameliorates but the patient becomes a carrier (harbors the infection without illness). This is often an indication for treatment, especially in food workers or institution workers.

	Parasites (worms and amoeba) should always be treated. '']'' is the most common persistent bacterial organism in humans.

	==Malabsorption==
	These tend to be more severe medical illnesses.
	] is the inability to absorb food, mostly in the small bowel but also due to the ].

	Causes include ] (intolerance to ], a wheat product), ] (Intolerance to milk sugar, common in non-Europeans), ], ] (impaired bowel function due to the inability to absorb ]), loss of pancreatic secretions (may be due to ] or ]), ] (surgically removed bowel), radiation fibrosis (usually following cancer treatment), and other drugs such as ].

	==Inflammatory bowel disease==
	The two overlapping types here are of unknown origin:
	* ] is marked by chronic bloody diarrhea and inflammation mostly affects the distal ] near the ].
	* ] typically affects fairly well demarcated segments of bowel in the colon and often affects the end of the small bowel.

	==Irritable Bowel Syndrome==
	]. Symptoms defining IBS: abdominal discomfort or pain relieved by defecation and unusual stool (diarrhea or ] or both) or stool frequency, for at least 3 days a week over the previous 3 months.<ref>Longstreth GL, Thompson WG, Chey WD, Houghton LA, Mearin F, and Spiller RC. (2006). Functional Bowel Disorders. Gastroenterology 2006; 130:1480–1491</ref> IBS symptoms can be present in patients with a variety of conditions including food allergies, infective diarrhea, celiac, and inflammatory bowel diseases. Treating the underlying condition (celiac disease, food allergy, bacterial dysbiosis, etc.) usually resolves the diarrhea.<ref>Wangen, S. "The Irritable Bowel Syndrome Solution". page 113. 2006; Innate Health Publishing. ISBN 978-0-9768537-8-7. Excerpted with the author's permission at http://www.IBSTreatmentCenter.com</ref> IBS can cause visceral hypersensitivity. While there is no direct treatment for undifferentiated IBS, symptoms, including diarrhea, can sometimes be managed through a combination of dietary changes, soluble fiber supplements, and/or medications.

	==Other important causes==
	*] bowel disease. This usually affects older people and can be due to blocked arteries.
	*]: Some (but not all) bowel cancers may have associated diarrhea. Cancer of the large intestine is most common.
	*Hormone-secreting tumors: some hormones (e.g. ]) can cause diarrhea if excreted in excess (usually from a tumor).
	*Bile salt diarrhea: excess bile salt entering the ] rather than being absorbed at the end of the ] can cause diarrhea, typically shortly after eating. Bile salt diarrhea is a possible side-effect of ] removal. It is usually treated with ], a ].

	==Alcohol==
	Chronic diarrhea can be caused by chronic ] ingestion <ref name=Harrison/>. Consumption of ] affects the body's capability to absorb water - this is often a symptom that accompanies a ] after a heavy drinking session. The alcohol itself is absorbed in the intestines and as the intestinal cells absorb it, the toxicity causes these cells to lose their ability to absorb water. This leads to an outpouring of fluid from the intestinal lining, which is in turn poorly absorbed. The diarrhea usually lasts for several hours until the alcohol is detoxified and removed from the digestive system. Symptoms range from person to person and are influenced by both the amount consumed as well as physiological differences. Alcohol-induced diarrhea is often accompanied by "the follow through" where a feeling that the patient is going to break wind (]) instead becomes an uncontrolled episode of
	diarrhea.

	==Cultural Significance==
	Diarrhea is the cornerstone of much of humor, and man's fascination with it rivals that of most other bodily secretions. Of all types of feces, diarrhea is most likely to rouse playful hilarity. Some find that "logs" or solid waste can be equally humorous, but when confronted with the word diarrhea the hilarity which is ensued eclipses that of any fecal manifestation in most people. People who have diarrhea may act in a stereotypical way (the frenzied and anxious dance like behavior one may partake in before relieving oneself) and this may lend to its association with humor.

	==See also==
	* ]
	* ]
	* ]
	* ]

	==Footnotes==
	<references/>

	== External links ==
	* 1: ''Bull. World Health Organ.'' 2000;78(10):1246-55.
	*
	*

	{{Gastroenterology}}

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Revision as of 06:14, 22 May 2007

diarrhea is what prostitutes get if taking it up the arse